Energy education of the younger generation, who are the future decision makers, investors, consumers, scientists, or skilled labor force in new energy technologies, is crucial for the future of Europe and the world. However, beyond the long-term goals of energy education policies, the short-term effects on energy conservation and the promotion of renewable energy sources are equally as important. The main purpose of the paper is to identify and analyze the behavior of students (who study the issues related to energy saving and RES), in terms of energy conservation. The conducted analysis focused on examining and comparing the scope of responses of the surveyed students in individual countries, especially in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Ukraine. The survey was carried out using the computer-assisted web interview (CAWI). Descriptive and graphical methods were used to present the results. Statistical analysis of the collected data included basic measures of descriptive statistics and the chi-square test. The main results of the study are as follows: Almost 60% of the surveyed students follow the principles of energy conservation; however increased educational activities on eco-energy behaviors is recommended. The share of RES in the heating systems of the studied residential buildings is 9%, on average, with the highest percentage of houses in Poland (14%) and the lowest in Ukraine (only 2.6%). When compared with literature reports, the collect data show that educational activities can be as effective as a tool in implementing RES and pro-environmental behaviors as the government’s environmental policy and household subsidies.

Comprehensive environmental impact assessments of buildings and construction as a whole consider the preparation of construction and finishing materials, their transportation, the process of erecting buildings, long-term operations—including the consumption of electricity, water, and fuels—and the management of the waste generated during the demolition of facilities. In terms of the above-mentioned elements, the most negative environmental impact on a building’s life cycle is in its exploitation stage. In order to reduce this impact, modern sustainable construction uses renewable energy sources. In the area of the Polish building market, analyses of CO₂ emissions, the application of LCAs for building materials, and assessments of the social impacts of modern buildings are still very limited. The aim of this study is to evaluate the environmental life cycles and social costs of the CO₂ emissions of single-family residential buildings, in which four different systems providing energy (heat and electricity) from renewable and nonrenewable sources are used. In this research, it was found that the annual CO₂ emissions per square meter of building surface area in the analyzed objects were in the range of 30 to 176 kg CO₂. The greatest contributor to the environmental effects was energy consumption (58% to 90%). The CO₂ analysis conducted showed that facilities that use a heat pump are characterized by an environmental effect that is six times lower than that of facilities that are powered by coal combustion and electricity from the network. Similarly, the social costs associated with CO₂ emissions were significantly lower in the case of the use of renewable energy sources.

Municipal solid waste collection points (MSWCPs) are places where residents of municipalities can leave their waste free of charge. MSWCPs should operate in every municipality in Poland. The Geographic Information System (GIS) and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) were used in conjunction as tools to determine potential locations of MSWCPs. Due to possible social conflicts related to the location of MSWCPs, three variants of buffer zones for a residential area were adopted. As a result of the spatial analysis carried out using the GIS software, 247 potential locations were identified in variant no. 1 (which accounted for 7.1% of commune area), 167 for variant no. 2 (6.3% of commune area), and 88 for variant no. 3 (3.8% of commune area). The most favourable locations for MSWCPs were determined using the AHP method with additional criteria for which weights were calculated as follows: the area of a designated plot (0.045), actual designation of a plot in the local spatial development plan (0.397), distance from the centre of the village (0.096) and the commune (0.231), and population density of a village (0.231). The highest weights (over 50%) in the AHP analysis were obtained for 12 locations in variant no. 3, two of which had an area over 3 ha. The adopted methodology enabled to identify quasi-optimal solutions for MSWCP locations in the analysed rural commune. This research has the potential to influence future waste management policies by assisting stakeholders in the MSWCP location.